Week 8 (INFORMAL task) Reflecting on the use of apps within the primary classroom

During today’s seminar we engaged with a range of applications on IPad’s. These applications, more commonly known as apps, can be combined in Literacy teaching in the classroom by creating cross-curricular links to Information Technology. One particular app stood out to me and it is something which I would consider using in the classroom to support Key Stage One.

The National Curriculum (DfE, 2013) states that reading helps children to develop what they already know by acquiring new skills and knowledge. In light of this, we should consider multimodal texts, interactive texts and apps to develop reading. I do believe we should still favour traditional methods, as Dean (2010) states they are vital in the curriculum. However, these interactive texts may help early readers to develop their word recognition skills in a fun and interactive way that, arguably, books cannot provide.

The app which I have chosen to focus on is the ‘Collins Big Cat’ app; this app allows you to download particular novels. Within each downloaded novel; you can chose to read the novel independently, have it read to you, or re-create the story independently. Therefore, it can be applied to a range of skills and it also supports children in the development of their chosen activity. In light of this, I would use this app in my own practice with Key Stage One and early readers as a discussed earlier; most probably Year One. However, we must remember that the year group can vary dependent on the child, it has the capacity to extend to children in both Year R and Year Two dependent on their ability and needs. I would perhaps use this app if my class was studying a particular text because the three activities are all centred round one text.

Perhaps after exploring the text as a whole class, children can use the app to independently read the novel to refresh their memory. After this, however, they can re-create the text using the icons displayed; character, settings, plot, speech. Arguably, this application is limited in its story creating activity. Nevertheless, I feel it provides a platform from which children can create multimodal texts with a text they are familiar with. Medwell, Wray, Moore and Griffiths (2009) implore the need for children to be aware of the structure of stories and often, when creating stories, they should be provided with a narrative framework. Similarly, the Collins Big Cat app provides this narrative framework to support children in creating their multimodal texts.

Bibliography:

Dean, G. ‘Rethinking Literacy’ in Bazalgette, C. (ed) (2010) Teaching Media in Primary Classrooms. London: SAGE.

Department for Education. (2013) Primary National Curriculum. [Online]

Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculum [Accessed 17/1/2014].

Medwell, J., Wray, D., Moore, G., & Griffiths, V. (2009). Primary English: knowledge and understanding. Exeter: Learning Matters.